


Double Date

by blackhorseandthecherrytree



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-09
Updated: 2013-06-09
Packaged: 2017-12-14 09:40:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/835477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackhorseandthecherrytree/pseuds/blackhorseandthecherrytree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a mad swan + rumpled lace doubledate</p>
            </blockquote>





	Double Date

“So,” Emma said, menu nearly up to her nose. “We’re stalking Gold. On a date with his girlfriend, Belle. Who has currently lost her memories and believes she’s a barfly named Lacey.” She eyeballed him. “This is a good idea, why?”

Some days, Jefferson had to remind himself why he liked Emma so much, because she could be as bratty as the spoiled princess she would’ve been in more dignified circumstances. 

And then he remembered - because she never took anything for granted. Because she eventually believed. Because she understood. He could use a little of his patience for her. 

“We’re doing this,” he answered, “because Belle was a friend of mine, and I don’t want her to get hurt.” And then he went in for the kill. “And because it’s distracting you from the fact that your exboyfriend is probably with his fiance right now.”

Emma gave him what she called her “bitch please” smile. Jefferson had never labeled his smiles, but he gave one right back. And it was on.

“She’s looking for a reason to ditch him,” Emma said after some time.

Jefferson raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

“She’s drinking more alcohol. I get that she drinks a lot anyways, but it’s faster than a barfly would. She’s not doing it because she likes it, she’s doing it because she’s uncomfortable.” Emma bit her lip, a sure sign that she was making a decision, when she stood up. “Give me a second, I’m going to the bathroom.”

Jefferson watched her straighten her dress. “You want me to distract Gold?” It still felt strange calling him that, but it was better than Rumplestiltskin in this situation.

“Only if he starts asking questions about Lacey’s disappearance,” Emma murmured, and then walked off on her stilettos.

-

Lacey was not drunk. She knew how to hold her booze. She just stumbled a bit, that was all.

It wasn’t that she didn’t feel sorry for Mr. Gold’s situation. She’d lost the people she cared about before. She didn’t know what else to call it when your father left you to face the world on your own. But she couldn’t just be the person he wanted her to be. She couldn’t look at him and see all the ways she didn’t live up to his image of her.

And - all right, so she didn’t know this man. Or how she ended up against a wall, his tongue in her mouth. But she knew how to roll with the punches well enough, and anything that made her feel oblivion was a good thing, in her book. 

“Hey!” The back door slammed open, and whoever the man was stopped.

“Sheriff, I - I didn’t mean anything -“

“You didn’t mean anything?” The blonde sounded fierce. Lacey stepped off the curb, a little dazed. “I’ve talked to you about this more than once. You’re lucky I’m off-duty, or you’d find yourself back in jail for another night. More, if I can manage it.” Angrily, the woman gestured to the left. “Get out of here.”

Lacey blinked lazily, and began walking off. The sheriff caught up with her. “Hey, are you all right?”

She laughed. “Yes. Thanks to your gallant intervention, I am perfectly all right. Put yourself at ease, I’ve been saved.”

Lacey wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting. Anger, pity, something.

“Do you want to go back inside?”

She hadn’t been expecting a choice. So she gave it due thought.

“You know, not really?” Lacey trudged along. Her shoes would need repair if she kept this up. “I don’t want to go in there and look at this sad man and have him look at me as if I’m his salvation. I don’t need that kind of responsibility.” She kicked at a stone. “I can barely take care of myself, let alone him.”

“He’s been talking to you about this Belle, right?” 

Lacey let out a sharp laugh. “That’s all he’s able to talk about.” She kicked at another stone. “He wants me to be her.”

“Are you really sure it’s all that worse than what you are now?” The sheriff was watching her, Lacey knew.

But Lacey didn’t have an answer.

“Do you really think it would hurt to learn about her?” The sheriff had been kicking at stones too, she noticed. “At least you’d get a free meal out of it.”

Lacey looked her up and down. She’d heard nothing but good things about the sheriff, even at the bar. She made a decision. “You were here with your date, right?”

Now it was the sheriff’s turn to be nervous. “Yeah?”

“There is no way I’m sitting with that man alone,” Lacey announced. “So if I get a free meal out of it, so should you.”

-

Rumplestiltskin looked at the group Belle had collected and sighed. The things he did for her. Like willingly socializing with people he’d prefer to manipulate.

“I feel like ordering appetizers,” Jefferson said cheerily. “Who’s up for some mozzarella sticks?”


End file.
